Tone library / Megadeth / Holy Wars...The Punishment Due (2004 Remix)

Holy Wars...The Punishment Due (2004 Remix) amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

The Megadeth guitar tone for “Holy Wars...The Punishment Due (2004 Remix)”, dialed in for a Marshall MG30CFX with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. 2004 Remix of Rust in Peace studio recording (original tracked 1990)

Original rig

Marshall JCM800 2203, Jackson King V/Soloist with Seymour Duncan JB (bridge), Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 as boost

Tight, aggressive thrash rhythm with scooped mids, articulate pick attack, dry and punchy

Amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

CHANNELOD1 (Overdrive 1)BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	6
Mid	3
Treble	7
Presence	0
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tube Screamer style overdrive (TS9 / TS808 / clone)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. This is critical to the Mustaine tone; the TS tightens the low end and adds midrange push into the amp's gain stage. Without it, the MG30CFX will sound looser and fizzier. A Boss SD-1, Behringer TO800, or any TS clone works.

Drive 2 · Tone 6 · Level 7

Why these settings

The MG30CFX is a solid-state Marshall with digital voicing—it lacks the JCM800's tube sag and natural compression. To compensate, mids are dropped to 3 (vs original's 4-5) because the MG's mid frequencies are harsher and need scooping for thrash clarity. Gain is pushed to 8 because solid-state amps need more dial travel to reach equivalent saturation. Reverb is 0—the original is bone dry. The Contour knob (if your MG has it) should sit at 12 o'clock.

PRO TIPMustaine's right-hand attack is the secret weapon—use tight, aggressive downstrokes palm-muted right at the bridge saddles, and let the pick barely clear the strings. The 2004 remix has more low-end punch than the original 1990 mix, so if your tone sounds thin, roll bass up to 7 and check your guitar's intonation in Eb Standard tuning.

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